Early voting causes electronic fraud concerns

WASHINGTON – Voters waited in line for hours to cast their ballots on Election Day.

Now, some claim the move to expand early voting in Maryland could lead to voter fraud.

Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley is pushing legislation that would expand early voting by increasing the number of early voting days and allowing residents to register on Election Day.

But one part of the bill is raising questions about online security. If it is approved, residents could request a password, use it to download an online ballot through email and mail it back to officials.

Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle raised concern about the provision at a hearing on Thursday. Without security checks, critics say the email delivery system is vulnerable to cyber attacks and voter fraud. They argue a hacker could request thousands of ballots and sway an election.

The Washington Post reports the Maryland’s State Board of Elections recognizes ongoing concerns with the current online registration system and is working to address them.